Sometimes I sit and reflect Upon myselfDwelling upon my sadnessAnd my heartacheWishing that I could shareAll that I knowBut have promised to notReveal

For there is so much That I could saySo much that I could tell youEspecially about theHeretofore unannounced Prizes in the Oh-so-cleverly-namedGrand Slam for Zambia II (This Time It’s Personal)

But I will not!

No, I shall not reveal that I have so many grand prizesTo give awayThat the term “grand prize” Has begun to haunt my Dreams

I wish I could tell the worldThat a major cycling companyWill give away not one bike Worth closer to $10K than to $5KBut will instead give away twoOne bike for roadiesOne for lovers of dirtBut I cannot say which company this is!Nor which bikes(Or at least will notFor I am coy)

I shall not let slipThat in the near futureI shall have a week Of blog postsWherein each day I shall Describe a cycling trip prize:Airfare, roomAnd hotel(Or resort or cabin or tent)All includedWhere you will ride And eatAnd hang outAnd quite possibly hobnob With Cycling VIPs(By which I do not mean me, Though I shall sometimes Be there too.)

I refuse to drop a hintThat one of these tripsIs to a famous and well-lovedGran Fondo

I further adamantly Do not concede thatOne of these trips is to theFirst-of-its-kindBy-invitation-onlyAnd hotly-anticipated eventPut on by a top pro

No! I will not discuss That I might give away An entryTo a nigh-impossible-to-get-into event (Which I have done sixteen times)Along with personal training advice from Someone who has won that eventQuite often

I will not say thatMy favorite companies(Twin Six and Honey StingerAmong others)Are offering Seriously cool prizesI shall keep all that to myself

And oh!If only I could revealThat numerous prosWill provide cool prizes too(Would I be giving too much awayIf I were to reveal that One of the prosHas “Dating Mike” as an anagram For his Twitter handle?Or that another has the same last nameAs the otherBut is not related?)

AlasI cannot tell any of thisBut must instead simply remind youThat in addition to these prizesAll of which you are unawareThere are some pretty amazing prizesAlready revealed

Oh the seduction of
Free Verse
Calling us to reveal our
Plans, dreams, ambitions and
Grand Prizes.
As the words tumble forth
Innocently
Secrets are revealed.
And sometimes we are seduced to
Donate.
Of course, I’ve already done that.